Bits and Bobs about Bolivia

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A few facts and observations on Boliva...

1. Beware of asking any Bolivian local for directions. They are so eager to appear helpful that if they don't know the way, they will simply make up directions

2. Bolivia is the world's biggest exporter of Brazil nuts (more than Brazil, which it shares a border with)

3. The most common petty crime in La Paz is the theft of bowler hats, usually off the the persons head. All women in La Paz wear these bowler hats.

4. As with Peru, there are different styles of hats worn in different areas. In total there are over 100 different styles of regional hats

5. Bolivia used to be on the coastline. But Chile decided it wanted some of it's rich nitrate mining land, and went to war with Bolivia! Chile won, and claimed the coastal land of Bolivia. Hence Bolivia is now a landlocked country, with no sea access, which has been partly responsible for it's poverty. The Bolivians are gutted about this, and it is still a very sore point!

6. Homosexuality is legal, and is widespread in rural areas

7. There is no welfare system for the unemployed, elderly or disabled. Some old ladies have been known to form "begging syndicates"

8. Bolivia is sparsely populated with only 1.5 million people.

9. Bolivia has some weird and wonderful combinations when it comes to food. They are generally artery-choking, stomach-filling monstrosites, but damn tasty. Such as Pique Macho, which is diced beef, chunks of chicken, sliced sausage, peppers, onions and olives, all fried together and then piled on top of a plate of chips. The dish is then topped with fresh tomoatoes, a slice of cheese and quarters of hard boiled egg. Or Silpancho Cochabambino, which is a HUGE piece of breaded beef which has been hammered and flattened until it covers the entire plate. It is then topped with an onion salad and a fried egg.

10. An interesting Bolivian drinks is hot wine sprinkled with chopped nuts

11. Many Bolivians believe in Pachamama, the Earth Goddess. Before starting on long journeys, they will sprinkle alcohol on their cars as an offering to Pachamama, to ensure they arrive safely. Imagine that in England! Walking down the street and seeing people with bottles of Smirnoff and Jack Daniels, pouring them over their bonnets. And imagine if you only had Baileys. What a mess...

12. Bolivia has no pollution or littering laws. None! The country simply does not have enough money to implement or enforce them.
i) Noise pollution - make as much noise as you like at all hours.
ii) Vehicle emmissions - I have seen countless vehicles belching black smoke. There are no MOT requirements
iii) Rubbish dumping - some roadsides are littered with huge amounts of plastic bags, empty bottles and other trash
iv) Pollution - the Rio Choqueyapu (also known as the "Rio Choke") which flows through La Paz is utterly dead. Annually it receives an estimated "500,000 litres of urine, 200,000 tons of human excrement and millions of tons of garbage, animal carcasses and industrial toxins". The toxins include cyanide from tanneries, and textile dyes which make the river run orange in places, topped with a whiet crusty foam. Orange Water Rafting anyone?

13. Despite the poor economy of the country, some banks have embraced new technology! You insert your card, and it verifies your identity with a fingerprint scan. It is also aimed at overcoming language barries and illiteracy. The machine speaks instructions in either Spanish, or one of two indigenous languages. How cool is that?

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Photos

Bowler Hats
the latest fashion in La Paz

a filling fried feast
this gargantuan dish is called Pique Macho. Somewhere under the mountain of food is a hidden layer of french fries

the foul belch of pollution
This is a common sight in Bolivia. Global Warming here we come

oh dear!
bikes are relatively recent invention in Boliva. At least, you would think so the way this guy was riding his. What a waste of beer!!

Comments

[Kees Boer]

Incorrect Information
Much of this information is incorrect. Not all the women in La Paz wear bowler hats. You see quite a few, but maybe only 20% or so, if that high. Most Bolivians are Catholic and I went on many trips, never saw anyone sprinkling the car with alcohol. Didn't see the polution that this writer is writing about either. Much of the food consists out of potatoes. As a matter of fact, the Aymara people were the ones, who discovered potatoes. I didn't find that everyone was noisy or littered the road. I'm not sure where this writer gets his/her information from. I get the idea that they are pretty negative about the country. Kees

[LobsterCheeks]

CORRCT information
Sorry to have a rant, but I feel I need to defend myself here 1. I am not negative about Boliva. In fact, out of the 50 countries I have visited, Bolivia is in my top five favourites. The people are warm and friendly, and the landscape is varied and stunning. The whole country simply captivated me 2. Not ALL women wear bowler hats. I have exaggerated here. However, MANY of them do. In the area of La Paz in which I was staying, MOST of them did. The purpose of this fact was simply to illustrate that women wear bowler hats, which is not the case in England 3. Yes, most Bolivians are Catholic, but their faith can be intertwined with that of Pachamama. In fact the special worship day of Pachamama, called "Martes de challa", is held one day before the Catholic “Ash Wednesday”. It is possible to be a practicing catholic, but still make offerings to Pachamama. For some people, they identify Pachamama with the Virgin Mary. 3. Just because you didn’t SEE anyone sprinkling alcohol on their cars, you assume it doesn’t happen? The ritual is called “challa”, and the sprinkling of alcohol is an offering to Pachamama. People sometimes sprinkle alcohol on the ground before drinking, and have been known to sprinkle it over a new home as a blessing. The practice may not be a wide one, but it does happen, more amongst the indigenous population 4. “DIDN"T SEE THE POLUTION THAT THIS WRITER IS WRITING ABOUT EITHER” You didn’t see ANY pollution? Take another look at the photo of the truck above, belching out fumes. I saw many, many instances of this. How could you miss it?? 5. “I DIDN'T FIND THAT EVERYONE WAS NOISY OR LITTERED THE ROAD”. I never said everyone was noisy. Just that there were no noise pollution laws. As for the littering, some roads on the outskirts of La Paz were disgraceful. Plastic bags, bottles and general refuse piled high along the sides of the roads. Some of this may have been piling up for years, because as you know, plastic does not decompose. Not everywhere, but large enough amounts on some roads that you would have to be blind not to see them. There was much less littering once you got outside of La Paz 6. What is your point about the potatoes? Yes, many meals consist of potatoes. But there are also a number of Bolivian specialties (which incidentally do include potatoes). Did you not try Pique Macho or Silpancho Cochabambino which I mention above? I have no idea why you think this information is incorrect. It seems to be that despite travelling through Bolivia, you yourself have missed many things